"To deny people their human rights is to challenge their very humanity."

-Nelson Mandela

There were many topics I could have discussed since this year's theme of Rights and Responsibilities in national History Day is "broad". There are many different and interesting topics which fall into the category of rights and responsibilities. I could have written about something specific and interesting such as the Salem Witch Trials rights. That would quite eye-catching, but not my taste. Or I could have written about something common and important like gay rights. It's a pretty well-known conversation starter that many people have opinions on. But I didn't want to take my chances writing common topics such like that many people would write as nominees for the prize. So I decided to go more unique, just like the topic of this contest, I wanted to be just as vague on choosing my topic. The vague topic which I will be talking about is on human rights.

Many people have different definitions of human rights, and this is mine. Human rights are exactly what it sounds like. Of course, it isn't saying that humans are always right or humans have a right to be human. Instead, human rights are the basic rights and freedoms given to every human being. Everyone, you, me, we all have these rights because we're human. I bet you feel pretty special right now, because I do too.

Of course, the question on my mind and most probably yours is: What is the origin of human rights? Human rights couldn't have been made up out of the blue. No one could have just thought, "I'm human. And I have a right to be human, hey... Why don't I make a set of rights for humans everywhere?" Back then, there was no such thing as human rights, no one ever thought of a term like that, and probably didn't care. People were treated how others wanted to treat them. There were slaves and servants, people were treated like cattle, not like humans. They were abused, ridiculed, tortured. All of these examples violated human rights. There were rights of the law maybe, but not rights for a person individually as what human rights mean.

It was then the first king of Persia, Cyrus the Great, conquered Babylon. After that, he freed all of the slaves in the city, making a decree that would let them choose their own religion and have them be treated equally, regardless of their nationality, the fact they were slaves, or that he could still treat them as slaves since he conquered the city, but decided not to. This was then put on the Cyrus Cylinder, a cylinder tablet that held those rights and many other decrees. That was the first record of human rights which consist the first four articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights document. It was then the idea that people should have rights began. The idea spread to Europe and throughout many other countries miles away such as India, Greece, and Rome. The humanist philosophy of human rights was talked throughout the years, including the Renaissance period of the Age of Enlightenment to today at the 21st-century.

There are many human rights that have been adapted into many documents throughout the centuries. Each document has its own history of contributing itself to the cause of human rights. Maybe you've heard many of these documents in history class while you're going your best to keep your eyes awake such as the Magna Carta (1215), the U.S. Constitution (1787), the French Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen (1789), the U.S. Bill of Rights (1791), and finally after World War II, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was created (1948), listing all of the human rights of today.

But what exactly is the purpose of human rights? Is it to prove that we are human? Prove that humans are right? Or is it to tell us apart from aliens? Though, now that I think of it, all extraterrestrial beings should have rights as well, but let's just have the Men in Black deal with that instead. Either way, there is one true purpose of human rights. Everyone is given these rights equally, without any discrimination of nationality, gender, religion, ethnicity, origin, language or any other status. But human rights don't just stop from there. The whole list goes from the philosophy of the rights to the law of it. All of these rights give rights to human individual, each one standing for one thing to the next. They are all based on the idea that each individual human being in the whole world, no, universe should have respect. Each person, if they deserve it, should be treated right. Some rights may seem important such as freedom of speech and religion, but all of the rights are important, each meaning freedom, a broad definition, I know. But the rights are universal, meaning for every human being, everyone has them no matter whom or where they are.

So now you know what human rights are, but some countries don't care about them. Today, there are still many violations of human rights all over the world. Like people still have unfair trials in 54 countries, in 77 countries freedom of expression is not allowed, and torture and abuse is allowed in 81 countries. There is no freedom of press in many countries, there's no freedom of speech for protesters given they're severely punished if they do, and women and children are still treated badly with little to no rights and respect. Even after human rights is accepted in many countries, just as many violate them. It's sad to say that the inhabitants of the world have a long way to go until it finally accepts each other.

Originally, I wanted to list all of the human rights in this essay in my own words and explain it one by one. It would be quite fun to do, informing you all of the articles. But one, there are exactly 30 articles in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. And two, some people might fall asleep while reading it. Human rights are a very serious topic, that I know, but even the best of people might nod off as someone boringly drones on about one article after another. As much as I would like to do this, I would probably nod off as well, feeling bad you'll begin to skim the articles. So instead, I'll just tell about this one article:

"All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood."

- Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

This article means all humans are born equal and free in pride and rights. We're worth the same and have the same rights as everyone else. We are able to know right from wrong, and should accept one another. As I write this, I remember that in my SPA exam for history, we had to choose between the two people Frederick Douglass and John Brown whose actions was the best way to end slavery. I chose Douglass since I'm a lover, not a fighter and the pen is mightier than the sword, he moved people through his words unlike Brown who- Before I start to change this essay from human rights to one on slavery, let me continue what I was going to. I had to choose one of three quotes from Douglass to support my statement, and one of the quotes caught my attention on how "we are able to know right from wrong". In My Bondage, My Freedom, 1855, Frederick Douglass wrote, "I see... why I should write my own biography... It is alleged that they (slaves) are... so utterly stupid... they are unconscious of their wrongs, and do not apprehend their rights." Already from reading this, it's obvious this is against the meaning of human rights, slavery, inequality, and racism. Frederick Douglass wrote an autobiography to prove that colored people aren't stupid and that they do know the difference between right and wrong, so he wrote the book to prove them wrong. Back then, slavery was something fought over, to the Union "North" wanted slaves to be free, while the Confederacy "South" was against it, they wanted to keep slaves for their cotton plantations. The both of them were willing to start a war known as the Civil War for the human right of abolishing slavery, which the Union won. Now that is for human rights.

This is what represents what human rights are. Sure, there are 29 other articles of other rights that to others are just as important. But this article is number one for a reason. The whole reason, the whole purpose of human rights is for humans to be respected to each other not because they have to, but because they are human. Discriminations don't matter as long as you're human, we are all human, and that's what counts. This article doesn't just stand for human rights, it stands for humanity.

When I first learned about this project, I instantly knew what my topic was going to be. The thing was... it wasn't about human rights. I wanted to write about the first amendment of the U.S Constitution, the freedom of speech and freedom of religion. I was going to title is, "Speaking for Religion", and already I was working the whole essay. But when I was searching up different types of rights to use as my introduction like the one I did here with gay rights, I saw human rights. It was then I decided to change my topic to human rights. Freedom of religion and speech are important, but human rights seems a bit more better given some people aren't in America and don't know that much of the U.S Constitution. Human rights are universal.

I first thought of human rights as a bunch of rights being human, it'll be like the U.S Constitution to me. It'll be inspirational and meaningful, and all of that stuff that makes you feel nice inside and good for yourself. Then I started read the purpose of human rights and that it's not really a small thing, but it's actually a really important thing to many people, my view changed in human rights.

Is it really that simple to have human rights? Being human is easy, walking upright, having opposable thumbs, using a language, having complex brains, using tools, wearing clothes, being able to control fire, and being the only species to blush, that's all easy. But acting human is a whole different story. So many people don't deserve to be human to the many things they've done to violate human rights. Slavery, abuse, bullying, torture, murder, discrimination, inequality, and so many more things violate human rights. And so many people do these things. So sure, they might look human, talk human, and maybe even be human. But they're not human, because they don't deserve to have human rights for they violate it as well. I feel a bit cruel saying this, that those people don't deserve human rights. But at the same time, I'm not, because they're not acting human in the first place doing any of this. They shouldn't be having human rights since they aren't human doing these inhuman things. And I know that all of us have human rights the moment we were born into this world. And even if you never did anything to violate these rights unlike many other people have, I still want to ask you one question that will get you thinking...

Do you have the right to be human?

This is the essay that I had to temporarilly stop writing The Good Girl's Bad Boys. My history teacher, who shall remain nameless, asked a bunch of us if we wanted to join a writing contest. A bunch of kids sat back down. Then she handed us a paper of the contest theme of rights and responsibilities for National History Day. She told us there will be a $50 savings-bond and trophy prize. There was only a three page maximum, I, of course said, "Aw." So she changed it to four page maximum, and everyone else said "Aw."

The next few days of class, someone asked who of the three people (including me) does my teacher think will win. She said me without hesistation. So I did my best to write the essay to the best of my ability, not letting anything hold me down. I hope you enjoy reading this pretty boring essay.

This is a addition to the first author's note. I just found out I won first place to the essay contest for California! I am so happy, I worked very hard for this essay ad I'm glad it payed off. Cheers everyone.

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